Human rights lawyer from Korean community in Japan undeterred by hate

Good for her!

Good for her!

Well done. Keep going. Japans pathetic legal system is unable to handle human rights issues, despite forcing international students in Japan studying at Japanese Universities to study human rights.

Sham Japan.

Rodney, you bring up some interesting topics in your post connected to identity.

For you, it seems depending on the generation one belongs to determines one’s identity and that identity is strictly tied to a nation-state. However, I think this is a bit overly simplistic. For one thing, cultural practices which influence our identities can transcend national boundaries and do occur over generations. The significance of this is that being born in a specific geographic area and within a certain generation does not necessarily preclude one from belonging to a specific culture/ having a specific identity. In other words, just because she is third generation doesn’t mean she is not Korean. It is possible to be Korean and Japanese (and have even more identities).

Next, you drew a comparison between Australian convicts and Ku’s situation. Again, this comparison seems facile. For one thing, Australians didn’t face persecution based on their ethnicity. Nor were they segregated to specific areas with Australia because of their ethnicity. As this article mentions, Ku grew up in an ethnically Korean neighborhood. There have also been many noted incidents of ethnic-based attacked on Koreans in Japan including the arson attack discussed in the article.

One way identity is understood is via avowed and ascribed identity. Avowed identities are those an individual takes on while ascribed are those given to an individual by others. Sometimes they overlap. In this case, Ku’s avowed identity is Korean. For Ku (and many others) this identity is not tied to the geographic nation-state but rather the cultural practices including language. While you don’t seem to ascribe this identity to Ku, some people in Ku’s life have ascribed this identity to her. In the story where the man pulled on her hair, he clearly identified her as Korean.

The powers at the top promote racism and hate speech and as usual the Japanese sheeple follow , oh and if you don't like it just leave !

Ku believes Japan needs to educate its public more on why there are ethnic Koreans in the country. "Prejudice comes from not knowing," she said.

Japan does NOT care about educating the public on anything dealing with non-Japanese people. I have to disagree with one thing: Prejudice comes from upbringing and surroundings. Most prejudiced people got that way from what they heard or were exposed to from people around them and no amount of education will change their thinking.

Its refreshing to see so many of the younger Japanese generation are not as prejudice and bigoted as a larger percentage of the older generation.

I hope the actions of this one 22 year old man don't encourage others.

I hope at some point the Korans living in Japan will be allowed to vote. Then they will really have a voice.

"Prejudice comes from not knowing," she said.

Yes and no. Japan, just like other neocolonial empires, operates on a mindset of its people's supremacy. Fear of the other is inevitable to a certain extent, but Japan's treatment of people from other Asian countries is a direct result of nationalist education and unwillingness of its elites to critically approach its own history.

"Japan's grip over the peninsula in the 20th century resulted in an exodus of Koreans on a scale comparable to that of Ukrainians observed in the two months following Russia's invasion launched in February 2022."

Prof. Mizuno was probably quoted out of context. The reason for the mass 'exodus' was that many Koreans knew they could have better jobs and better life in Japan. Since all Koreans were Japanese citizens, there was nothing to prevent them from leaving Korea for Japan.

Naoki Mizuno, professor emeritus of Kyoto University specializing in modern Korean history, said Japan's grip over the peninsula in the 20th century resulted in an exodus of Koreans on a scale comparable to that of Ukrainians observed in the two months following Russia's invasion launched in February 2022

This is a factoid that needs to be mentioned in the daily coverage of the war. Along with Japanese big oil and big tobacco continuing to do business with Japan.

The reason for the mass 'exodus' was that many Koreans knew they could have better jobs and better life in Japan. Since all Koreans were Japanese citizens, there was nothing to prevent them from leaving Korea for Japan.

This tragically hilarious disconnected reasoning is often heard from apologists. When an invading force smashes a nation's government and infrastructure, people will look for a safe port and the possibility of making a livelihood.

"Through my work on cases of hate crimes, I felt that it was highly necessary to analyze the inadequacies of the Japanese legal system from the perspective of international human rights law," Ku said.

It is extremely disappointing to find Japan’s legal system in an archaic and disheveled state as it is.

It is not the 17th century but the 21st century where countries are tied together with economic and social relationships as never before.

It is an age where Japanese politicians have firsthand experience of international schooling and foreign higher educational experiences as well as internships.

Yet, being a Korean or any other foreigner in Japan has resulted in perpetrators of racism to suffer no penalty.

From housing to job promotion there are barriers all over Japan.

Yet, Japanese nationals living abroad and in the employ of Japanese companies are protected from discrimination and enjoy many rights that citizens do.

The problem is the lazy and feckless politicians in Japan that refuse to pass laws allowing foreign citizens protection.

As much as I hope things will change here I know it will be decades coming.

" When an invading force smashes a nation's government and infrastructure, people will look for a safe port and the possibility of making a livelihood."

So, in order to escape Japanese "barbarism", they fled to ...Japan!!!

Thinking prior to typing never killed anyone.

Granting Koreans born and raised in Japan full citizenship would go a long way in deflating prejudices against them.

Nam, they have to accept citizenship and become Japanese. The question is not one of "race" but to whom they owe allegiance. If they owe allegiance to Japan they can vote. If they owe allegiance to Korea, they can not vote.

jeancolmarToday  11:00 am JST

Granting Koreans born and raised in Japan full citizenship would go a long way in deflating prejudices against them.

True, But my understanding is that such ethnic Koreans living in Japan under the Special Permanent Residence status (instituted after WWII ended) have always been able to choose to apply for Japanese nationality. Why some ethinic Koreans, especially those younger ones who are mentally totally Japanese don't choose to get citizenship is very puzzling.

So, in order to escape Japanese "barbarism", they fled to ...Japan!!!

Just like African, south Asian and Caribbean colonial subjects migrated to the countries that colonised them to escape the wasteland colonialism turned their homes into. This is a typical example of apologist gaslighting. "If Japan was so bad, why did you move there as opposed to staying in your old country or try to move to a country that is much less likely to let you in?" Also, there is a large Korean diaspora across the West, so it's not like many didn't try to go elsewhere.

"Just like African, south Asian and Caribbean colonial subjects migrated to the countries that colonised them to escape the wasteland colonialism turned their homes into"

The greatest migratory waves towards former colonial powers occurred after the independence(s)!

Check your history; I don't need to.

Why aren't Ukrainians queuing up to go to Russia then?!

@Peeping_Tom

I understand some people really like anonymously talking down to people they've never met.

History is complicated, isn't it? For example, the Windrush generation are migrants from the West Indies that moved to the UK between 1948 and 1971. Jamaica, for example, gained independence in 1962. There are many factors that contributed to the timing such as labour scarcity. Also, formal independence hardly ever meant an end to exploitation.

This, however, is not really relevant to the issue of Japanese Koreans. I just gave it as a parallel example of how people from exploited countries often do move to the countries that exploit them, be it out of convenience or necessity. In the case of Koreans, the physical proximity of Japan night also be a factor.

@Peeping Tom

I would check your own lacunae in your historical erudition.

Many nations had exclusionary acts or strict quotas for Asian immigration in the early 20th century.

This and Japan's proximity and economic opportunities would all factor in the calculus of Korean immigrants.

By your logic, freed slaves or colonial subjects should all go back to their home countries.

I hope at some point the Korans living in Japan will be allowed to vote. Then they will really have a voice.

Granting Koreans born and raised in Japan full citizenship would go a long way in deflating prejudices against them.

Ain’t gonna happen. At least at national level. Become Japanese, as simple as that period

 

Just like African, south Asian and Caribbean colonial subjects migrated to the countries that colonised them to escape the wasteland colonialism turned their homes into

 

The wasteland? The peninsula under Japan ruling? Either you chose the wrong word, or completely ignorant. You don’t have to listen to what you call apologists’ narrative, and yet look into the actual statistics

 

Also, there is a large Korean diaspora across the West, so it's not like many didn't try to go elsewhere.

 

Except that Korean diaspora across the West slowly expanded after Korean War.

 

 

 

This tragically hilarious disconnected reasoning is often heard from apologists. When an invading force smashes a nation's government and infrastructure, people will look for a safe port and the possibility of making a livelihood.

 

You just guess as such. You too look into actual statistics.

By your logic, freed slaves or colonial subjects should all go back to their home countries.

Are they or their descendants still carrying foreign passports under some special protection like SPR?

@YuriOtani

The question is not one of race but to"whom" they owe allegiance

In your comment we can clearly see how Japanese nationals as yourself are prejudice and don't even realize it.

Allegiance to only Japanese people ?

How is voting going to help the racial prejudices and bigotry of Japan anyway ?

If they owe allegiance to Japan they can vote

Do you really think your vote counts ?

The spouse of a Japanese national who is a resident of Japan cannot vote even tho they contribute to Japanese society by working or owning a business and paying taxes and in return have very little legal rights and cannot vote.

Is that fair ?

And its pledge Allegiance not owe Allegiance .

Japan is supposed to be a democracy .

OssanAmericaToday  11:28 am JST

jeancolmarToday  11:00 am JST

Granting Koreans born and raised in Japan full citizenship would go a long way in deflating prejudices against them.

True, But my understanding is that such ethnic Koreans living in Japan under the Special Permanent Residence status (instituted after WWII ended) have always been able to choose to apply for Japanese nationality. Why some ethinic Koreans, especially those younger ones who are mentally totally Japanese don't choose to get citizenship is very puzzling.

You are always trying to justify anything about Japan.

Have you ever heard of dual citizenship?

Most civilized countries allow this.

And I am a double as well,with two mother languages and two passports.

Japan doesn’t allow this for the archaic thinking that if their country will go to war they have to swear fidelity only to Japan.

Really racist and old mined thinking if you ask me.

These zainichi even after being born and growing here still have to choose to either keep their family identity or be assimilated cutting their bloodline.

I feel it outrageous and not from a so called civilized nation.

The wasteland? The peninsula under Japan ruling? Either you chose the wrong word, or completely ignorant. You don’t have to listen to what you call apologists’ narrative, and yet look into the actual statistics

"Colonization was actually good for the colonized."

Oldest form of apologism in the book. Throwing in a casual insult really gets the message across!

Koreans who settled down in America would be naturalized in America soon. They would be proud to be an American. Black people who were born and raised in America have been discriminated. but they are also proud to be an American. On the other hand, These Koreans have been living in Japan for 3 to 4 generations but refuse to be naturalized in Japan because they put down Japan and don't want to blend in. It is true many Japanese discriminate against them but it is also true these Koreans discriminate against Japanese.

Have you ever heard of dual citizenship?

Most civilized countries allow this.

Is it because many countries called civilized countries are allowing for it? OR you saying allowing for dual or even more citizenships some proof of civilization ?

Japan doesn’t allow this for the archaic thinking that if their country will go to war they have to swear fidelity only to Japan. Really racist and old mined thinking if you ask me.

Hey you Americans ( Brits, French, Ukranians...you name it) The USA (UK. France, Ukraine...) is not the country only for you Americans ( and so forth...) but also for us Russians. You don't mind it do you.

These zainichi even after being born and growing here still have to choose to either keep their family identity or be assimilated cutting their bloodline.

Naturalization forces you to lose your family identity and cut your bloodline? How?

"Colonization was actually good for the colonized."

Oldest form of apologism in the book. Throwing in a casual insult really gets the message across!

Yeah. If Colonization was actually good for majority (ordinally people) , forget quibble of only 5% of ruling class who might have lost their stakes. Being released from slavery system, given equally chance for education, jobs, foods, can now live twice longer .

It seems you had better check not only statistics but also recent trend in South Korea by South Korean Academia regarding truths under Japan rulings.

Allowing Pro-Putin Russians for full citizenship to vote at regional/national election in your country?

Have you ever heard of dual citizenship? Most civilized countries allow this. I feel it outrageous and not from a so called civilized nation.　

Austria, Norway, Singapore also do not allow dual citizenship. Aren't they civilized? Civilized countries don't intervene in others' matters. Why all the countries have to follow suit? These self proclaimed civilized people always say they respect variety and invalidate the variety of countries.

>

@KennyG

All you do is here every time is attack and belittle other commenters. You never say anything constructive and hardly ever comment on the actual article.

Claiming Korea was thriving under Japanese colonial rule is a prime example of revisionism. I have a life, so I don't want to spend time looking for articles that would debunk every false or out-of-context claim you make, as easy as that would be.

All you do is here every time is attack and belittle other commenters. You never say anything constructive and hardly ever comment on the actual article.

No I am just correcting misunderstandings of some stereotypical posters, which is supposed to be constructive.

Claiming Korea was thriving under Japanese colonial rule is a prime example of revisionism.

Denying statistical truths is actually a prime example of revisionism. the efforts to revise real picture.

I have a life, so I don't want to spend time looking for articles that would debunk every false or out-of-context claim you make, as easy as that would be.

As you like. But as much as you ignore what you call apologists narrative and their articles, you d better actually look into the statistics.

Well done Japan Today for posting this. For too long Asian people in Japan, non-Japanese, in particular have suffered badly in a variety of ways that the typical Japan loving foreigners outside Japan are oblivious to. It’s been merely 20 years (about) that the city/town halls made the ‘Black’ lists illegal - lists of families of a certain non-Japanese descent available for Japanese companies or others to view to see if a person is not pure Japanese, something highly racist. Japan is moving up the equality chain, albeit slowly for a democratic society, nevertheless up. Still, the government are not doing enough at all openly to openly criticise racism.

We are talking about only one side here, Koreans in Japan.

What about Japanese in Korea? Do you think Japanese and Japanese company get fair treatment?

Korean beauty products, Kpop culture, Kdramas are hugely supported by Japanese fans. You don't see it that in opposite way but they did until Korean Wave.

As you like. But as much as you ignore what you call apologists narrative and their articles, you d better actually look into the statistics.

No. Claiming that colonialism was beneficial to the colonized is so far out of the realm of reality, that nobody is compelled to "prove" with "statistic" that that's not the case.

This would all be fun and games as it's just an online commenting board. However, this type of whitewashed perception of history leads to exactly the problems that the lawyer in the article is trying to tackle. If you believe a country's people can do no wrong (despite ample evidence to the contrary), you will look as anyone from the outside as ungrateful if they don't constantly praise their new country of residence or even demand not being subject to discrimination. Japanese Koreans (and anyone else living here) don't owe anything to Japan. All residents need to be treated equally regardless of their background.

William77Today  12:51 pm JST

OssanAmericaToday  11:28 am JST

jeancolmarToday  11:00 am JST

Granting Koreans born and raised in Japan full citizenship would go a long way in deflating prejudices against them.

True, But my understanding is that such ethnic Koreans living in Japan under the Special Permanent Residence status (instituted after WWII ended) have always been able to choose to apply for Japanese nationality. Why some ethinic Koreans, especially those younger ones who are mentally totally Japanese don't choose to get citizenship is very puzzling.

You are always trying to justify anything about Japan.

My comment does not justify anything about anything. Unlike every one of your posts that villify Japan.

Have you ever heard of dual citizenship?

Most civilized countries allow this.

So...Norway, Austria, Netherlands, Georgia, Estonia, India, China, Singapore are all "uncivilized"? A nation's policy regarding citizenship has nothing to do with being "civilized" or not. That view alone exposes a latent racist attitude.

@Hiroshi Kanoya

Austria , Norway and Singapore also do not allow dual citizenship

It's difficult to compare Japan to these countries because they are English speaking and mostly non prejudice towards foreigners and women are treated with alot more respect.

The UK doesn't allow permanent dual citizenship.

And i have met Japanese citizens that own a USA passport also.

@Kyo wa heiwa dayo ne

Austria , Norway and Singapore also do not allow dual citizenship

"It's difficult to compare Japan to these countries because they are English speaking and mostly non prejudice towards foreigners and women are treated with alot more respect."

German is spoken in Austria and Norwegian is spoken in Norway.

My error. I meant to say giving South and North Koreans born and raised in Japan dual citizenship would be a good move to help promote equality..

jeancolmarToday  05:41 pm JST

My error. I meant to say giving South and North Koreans born and raised in Japan dual citizenship would be a good move to help promote equality..

No, that promotes "inequality". Dual Citizenship would have to be applied to all non-Japanese of any nationality. But North Korea would be excluded as Japan does not have dipomatic relations with them.

Full automatic citizenship by birth (jus soli) is recognkzed by just 33 countries in the world. Some countries have a restricted form, such as Australia where a child born in Australia can get citizenship only if at least one of the parents has Australian citizenship or permanent residence status.

Disgustingly shameful racism is sadly found in Japan.

@Kyo

It's difficult to compare Japan to these countries because they are English speaking and mostly non prejudice towards foreigners and women are treated with alot more respect.

 

Oops The bottom line is English speaking country I see. That make it a country civilized or not. I see.

@Yotomaya

 

Sorry for the late response as I seem to have a life too

 

No. Claiming that colonialism was beneficial to the colonized is so far out of the realm of reality, that nobody is compelled to "prove" with "statistic" that that's not the case.

 

Think. How many ordinally people are struggling to live their own peaceful lives as human beings without their own ethnic prides. If you could live better and feel much better till the very end of your last days under colonizers than which do you think they under slavery burdens with not blood discriminations but all of social discriminations as like the peninsula before annexation …prefer?

 

Next. I don’t appreciate you gross all up with just one word “ colonization”

Perhaps you could hint me which one of those western or any colonizers had actually legalize “ compulsory education for the colonized” in human history during the eras of their colonization.

 

 

This would all be fun and games as it's just an online commenting board. However, this type of whitewashed perception of history leads to exactly the problems that the lawyer in the article is trying to tackle.

 

How much do you know Koreans in Japan went so violent and attacked Japanese just because they are Japanese? And yet being protected by Korean tribalistic organization which looked like “ The untouchable castle”

Oh I am talking about all those violent crimes by Koreans against Japanese, reported since the very timing Japan surrendered in 1945 up until today.

 

Whitewashed perception? Laughable. You are simply given with black board full of fake stories.

 

If you believe a country's people can do no wrong (despite ample evidence to the contrary), you will look as anyone from the outside as ungrateful if they don't constantly praise their new country of residence or even demand not being subject to discrimination. Japanese Koreans (and anyone else living here) don't owe anything to Japan. All residents need to be treated equally regardless of their background.

 

One word. Which one of what you call civilized countries are treating foreigers protected by SPR. This is not the issue of discrimination.   

 

 

Think. How many ordinally people are struggling to live their own peaceful lives as human beings without their own ethnic prides. If you could live better and feel much better till the very end of your last days under colonizers than under slavery burdens = domestic discriminations=social hierarchy as like the peninsula used to be before annexation, which do you think they would prefer.

Think relative pal.

Think how so different voices are being heard from Taiwan about Japan and the days under Japan.

Think why young HongKongers (mostly Han Chinese) are protesting against being ruled by the same Han Chinese greatest powers.

Good person.

"History is complicated, isn't it? For example, the Windrush generation are migrants from the West Indies that moved to the UK between 1948 and 1971. Jamaica, for example, gained independence in 1962."

I am FULLY aware of such facts; thanks anyway.

Nothing in them disproves the fact that the policy was carried out until well after most Caribbean independences, yet there was no stopping them from coming to live amongst the Devil who had ONLY suppressed them.

My main point of contention resides in blank statements such as:

"Just like African, south Asian and Caribbean colonial subjects migrated to the countries that colonised them to escape the wasteland colonialism turned their homes into"

Not all were escaping "the wasteland colonialism turned their homes into"

"People took passage on the Empire Windrush for many reasons: some were seeking employment in Britain, others hoped to rejoin the Army or Royal Air Force. Many simply had deep curiosity about the "mother country". Sam King described his desire to raise his children in a country with greater educational opportunities: "I didn’t want one of my children to be born in a colony.""

"https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/discover/how-did-empire-windrush-change-london-docklands"

We all know colonisation was evil and should have never happened.

But using objectivity and less propaganda is not bad, either

Actually, it's good for the lungs.

No country is forced to allow dual citizenship.

So, in order to escape Japanese "barbarism", they fled to ...Japan!!!

Thinking prior to typing never killed anyone.

Not unusual at all. It has been the case with many colonial nations. How many Algerians fled to France during their war for independence? How many people from nations the US fought wars with subsequently fled to the US? UK is full of people from its former colonies. As for the Koreans, where else were they going to go? China, under attack from Japan? Russia was fighting a war with Japan practically on the Korean border? The US wasn't accepting Asian immigrants back then.

You also have people like a former rental manager I became friends with. He was born and raised in Indonesia. Ethnically he was Indonesian as was his wife, but they worked for the Dutch colonial government there and consider themselves to be Dutch, not Indonesian. They had just arrived in Indonesia from the annual vacation to the Netherlands that Dutch colonial government employees were entitled to when Indonesia gained independence. They never saw their luggage as they left the steam ship and had to flee with US help as Sukarno was out to arrest them. But the interesting thing to me is that despite being born in Indonesia of ethnic Indonesian blood they feel no affinity to it and identify themselves as Dutch.

I'm sure when my life is concluded should I find myself rejected at the pearly gates and have the misfortune to be sent to that other, hotter place I will find a proportion of souls down there clinging to Lucifer asking what they can do for him, how can they make the fires hotter. The perversity of human nature.

Folks, can we all just get along, pleeeze. One way or another and at one point we all need help. Today kid of your maid, tomorrow might be doctor save your fckg life, teacher of your kids, today's boss may become tomorrow's homeless. The world is polluted, small, and scarcity, and those you hate might take care of you when you are old, so treat them nicely because you never know. If we pride ourselves to be civilized, educated, class, why believe in hatred? Haters are likely incompetent ignorant stupid lonely mffckers, so let them be. Love&loved, y'all, pleeeze

Not unusual at all. It has been the case with many colonial nations. How many Algerians fled to France during their war for independence? How many people from nations the US fought wars with subsequently fled to the US? UK is full of people from its former colonies. As for the Koreans, where else were they going to go? China, under attack from Japan? Russia was fighting a war with Japan practically on the Korean border? The US wasn't accepting Asian immigrants back then.

And those Algerians, Indonesians, former colonizees, descendants of those all still rejecting citizenship of such former colonizers countries they fled to? Those former colonizers allowing for it?

Good for her!

Well done. Keep going. Japans pathetic legal system is unable to handle human rights issues, despite forcing international students in Japan studying at Japanese Universities to study human rights.

Sham Japan.

well said Alan!

However way we do it, Koreans born in Japan must be allowed to have (or automatically given) citizenship at birth and retroactively. Let me give you a few examples from the United States. The Indian Citizenship Art of 1924 granted full U.S. citizenship to Native Americans. In 1952 the Walter-McCarren nullified Asian exclusion Laws. Something like this can be done in Japan. It must be done. The situation as it standing is shameful.

For those who’re not familiar with history of Utoro district. Utoro was initially introduced, particularly within South Korea, as a district where descendants of those forcibly mobilized as forced laborers live together. Of course it is not the case. The district despite being privately owned, has been long illegally occupied by Koreans who are descendants of Koreans who had lived in Japan already.

 

The most ugliest part of the history is land speculation story where all the players involved are all Koreans.

 

In 1987 March許昌九（Ho Cheng）a Korean (Japanese name Hirayama Masuo) , who was from this district and self-claimed president of the district association bought land for entire district from Nissan Shatai Co(then legal owner) at 300 million yen. In 1987  Finance was made by South Korean financial institution, Osaka Shogin Bank. And a joint surety of this financing was 河炳旭（Ha Byon-wk）a Korean, who established the land-developing company called Nishi Nippon Shokusan( 西日本殖産) in 1987 April, where Ho Cheng was a board member. In 1987 May, Ho Cheng sold the property to that company owned by Ha Byon-wk

At 445 million yen (145million profit in 2 months)

1988 Sep. Ha Byon-wk tried to sell the land along with his company to another Korean but failed to persuade residents to leave the district and lengthy legal process had started. By then

Ho Cheng disappeared from the district with 145 mill yen profit.

In 2004 Jan, Ownership of the land was illegally transferred once from the said company to a Zainchi Korean, Japanese name Inoue Masami, a member of UYOKU (Black-van Loud speaker group). Inoue Masami then demanded South Korean government to purchase the land at 550 million yen to help the Korean residents. Due to legal intervention , it didn’t materialize and Inoue Masami later got arrested for crimes of abduction、confinement and bodily injury.

 

Long story short, Koreans illegally occupied the area and Koreans tried to kick them out, and exploited the situation and made money. Koreans tried to deceive Koreans…and what not.

Yet None of this back ground stories was disclosed when people report about the district, only focusing on Japanese vs Korean

I hate the posts that go off-topic to victimise Japan.

Lets bend history so the Koreans are the aggressors and the Japanese are the victims.

I hate the posts that go off-topic to victimise Japan.

Applause. Spot on.

Japan is always the victim. Pathetic.

I hate the posts that go off-topic to victimise Japan.

Lets bend history so the Koreans are the aggressors and the Japanese are the victims.

A poster told me that I should talk about the article which refers often to Utoro district as Ku was from the district. Anyone who knows the district well knows about this inconvenient background story.

Whether you like it or hate it, Japanese or Japanese Co ( Nissan Shatai Co) wanted to get out of this mess as soon as possible. After that, meaning the last Japanese owner Nissan Shatai Co sold the land to 許昌九（Ho Cheng）a Korean, it was all the story among Koreans that legal battle went on between Koreans vs Koreans, literally.

Face it.

Good for her working as an official lawyer to protect such people.... as Japan legitimize them, non-Japanese officially standing at courts to protect their fellow citizen. Vice Chairman of Japan Federation of Bar Associations is a Korean. Not naturalized Korean-Japanese but a Korean.

Applause. Spot on.

Japan is always the victim. Pathetic.

Spot far far off. This is not the issue of Japan always victimizing itself. It is simply what happened to the district.

See? Yotomaya. I am inputting additional but fundamental information to posters who look only at surface of the article.

jeancolmarToday  12:24 pm JST

However way we do it, Koreans born in Japan must be allowed to have (or automatically given) citizenship at birth and retroactively. Let me give you a few examples from the United States. The Indian Citizenship Art of 1924 granted full U.S. citizenship to Native Americans. In 1952 the Walter-McCarren nullified Asian exclusion Laws. Something like this can be done in Japan. It must be done. The situation as it standing is shameful.

The US is one of the minority countries that recognizes Jus Soli. The result is that illegal (undocumented) immigrants are intentionally giving birth in the US so the child has US citizenship. So there are both pros and cons to the concept of "automatic citizenship at birth". Comparing US laws to Japanese laws, or anywhere else is pointless, they are different countries. Most states in the US allow private owership of firearms including assault rifles. Should Japan also copy that?

The US examples you give pertain to laws that prevented immigrants from becoming US citizens. But the ethnic Zainichi Koreans living in Japan have been and are free to apply for Japanese citizenship. If they were prohibited from doing so, then that would be discrimination. But they are not prohibited, rather they themselves choose not to become J-citizens. Which of course is their right amd fine, but to then complain about discrimation for being Korean doesn't make sense.

But they are not prohibited, rather they themselves choose not to become J-citizens.

The logical criticism is why would Japan not consider someone born in Japan a citizen? What is wrong with Japan that it denies Koreans born there citizenship? It is highly discriminatory for force people born in Japan to have to apply for citizenship in the country of their birth. And you are maybe deliberately blind to the insult this entails. Consider a teenager born in Japan to ethnic Korean parents born in Japan, maybe themselves the son and daughter of ethnic Koreans born in Japan, yet none have Japanese citizenship. Would not that teenager be justified in thinking the nation he was born to hates him and wants him gone? Maybe he says eff Japan, I'm not going through their stupid paperwork drill to get citizenship to a country that hates my people and will discriminate against me the rest of my life. Seems like a reasonable way to think if you are on the bottom and much of Japan looks down on you as some colonial serf, a lower form of life, which is how many Japanese treat Koreans in Japan.

What are you on about? Japan does not deny citizenship to zainichi. They are able to take citizenship if/when they choose, and it’s not a hard process. If they choose not to take citizenship that’s on them.

Yes it is difficult to do and a person only has a couple of years to make up their minds and do it. It's a stinking thing Japan does to the Koreans who live there, are born there but for whom Japan makes it difficult to gain their citizenship. Japan just goes out of its way to discriminate against its former colonial vassals, and it's especially disgusting considering Japan forced some 700,000 to 800,000 Koreans to work in Japan during WWII where they were over 30% of the industrial work force. And when the war was over Japan altered their former policy of granting Koreans automatic citizenship. The Japanese to this day do not understand how horrible they were in the first half of the 20th Century and how their stubborn failure to understand their past keeps them chained to it. You are still not fully trusted Japan, not until you own up to your past and atone for it.

Yes it is difficult to do and a person only has a couple of years to make up their minds and do it.

Where are you getting this information? I'm searching in Japanese and can find no references stating it must be done by a certain age. And my zainichi friend said it's as easy as applying. So please provide your sources.

One should feel sorry for these prejudiced Japanese who spew hate and violence at other minorities. For they are uneducated and culturally deprived. Many of them grew up in dysfunctional families and now find themselves in Low income jobs unable to find vertical mobility and a place in functional society. Unfortunately their children will grow up just like their parents

Desert TortoiseToday  01:36 am JST

But they are not prohibited, rather they themselves choose not to become J-citizens.

The logical criticism is why would Japan not consider someone born in Japan a citizen? What is wrong with Japan that it denies Koreans born there citizenship? 

Probably the same thing that is "wrong" with most of the countries in the world, considering that only 33 nations recognize Jus Soli. To ask what is "wrong" with a country whose policy is the majority on the planet is just plain stupid.

Japan is not denying ethnic Koreans (or any other Permanent Resident) Japanese citizenship. Japan is offering them J-citizenship. It is the ethnic Koreand themselves who are refusing to become J-citizens.

If following the immigration procedure of the country to become a citizen is "too difficult" or "takes too long" then they should forget about it and ether leave Japan, or live with their decision. Immigration procedures are both difficult and time consuming in just about every country, including the United States. Which is why there are so many illegal (undocumented) immigrants.

Yes it is difficult to do and a person only has a couple of years to make up their minds and do it. It's a stinking thing Japan does to the Koreans who live there, are born there but for whom Japan makes it difficult to gain their citizenship. Japan just goes out of its way to discriminate against its former colonial vassals, and it's especially disgusting considering Japan forced some 700,000 to 800,000 Koreans to work in Japan during WWII where they were over 30% of the industrial work force. And when the war was over Japan altered their former policy of granting Koreans automatic citizenship. The Japanese to this day do not understand how horrible they were in the first half of the 20th Century and how their stubborn failure to understand their past keeps them chained to it. You are still not fully trusted Japan, not until you own up to your past and atone for it.

@Tortoise

I assume you realized by now that you are confusing naturalization for selection of nationality by dual(multiple) citizenships holders. As for the latter half, that is why they have been entitled to Special PR rights. *

The Japanese communities should learn from Ms. Ku Ryang Ok and be undeterred by the hatred shown by Korean Zainichi groups.

I assume you realized by now that you are confusing naturalization for selection of nationality by dual(multiple) citizenships holders. As for the latter half, that is why they have been entitled to Special PR rights. *

Yes, I think it's clear Desert Tortoise was wrong on this one.